Ditch The Bulky Shoe Racks For An Adjustable, Space-Saving Alternative From IKEA

Having multiple pairs of shoes is inevitable if you want to have the right pair for every occasion. The more footwear you buy, though, the more storage space you'll need, and it can feel unsettling to see them scattered across an overflowing shoe rack. If there's no room to install another shoe cabinet in your space, consider getting a smaller and versatile storage unit like the IKEA SKOSTALL shoe organizer. At $4.99 a piece, the SKOSTALL costs double the price of the more popular MURVEL shoe organizer, which only sells for $2.99 each. However, the MURVEL organizer cannot be adjusted to accommodate different shoe heights, making the SKOSTALL more suitable for saving space when stacking a range of footwear like flats, dress shoes, and bulkier sneakers.

Apart from the SKOSTALL's space-saving features, its look and feel stand out for many customers. With its steel build and grid design, reviewers have shared that it's a great break from plastic organizers, saying that it is a "very clever device" and has "made a 200% difference to the appearance" of their shoe walls. Other buyers have noted that the SKOSTALL units could not fit larger shoe sizes, with reviews saying it could not fit a U.S. men's size 12 and was a tight fit for a U.S. women's size 10 — if you wear that size or bigger, it would help to explore other smart ways to store shoes.

On its own, the SKOSTALL can already help sort out shoe clutter. Unless you plan on storing it in existing shelves or cabinets, though, you can get more out of this organizer by combining it with other IKEA storage products. If you plan to place a few of these racks on the floor, try adding an IKEA BAGGMUCK shoe tray underneath. Due to the SKOSTALL's open grid design, dirt from your shoes can fall through the gaps, but the BAGGMUCK tray can catch all that mess — plus, it can easily be stored away along with the shoe organizers when you don't need it.

As another consequence of the mesh design, customers have mentioned in reviews that the SKOSTALL may not be the best organizer to store stilettos and other shoes with thin heels. However, you can make the rack more suitable for this type of footwear by lining each tier with IKEA's VARIERA drawer liner. You can simply cut the liner to fit each section before placing your heels on top.

Finally, for taller footwear like boots, you can likely guess that they won't fit in the SKOSTALL. Here, consider adding an IKEA GREJIG shoe rack to your setup. You can place a BAGGMUCK tray underneath the SKOSTALL units where you can store flatter shoes, then place the GREJIG rack above them to store your boots. These IKEA shoe storage hacks will not only save you from assembling a bulky cabinet, but also reduce the amount of clutter in your space.